Isa Reichert
"If I die today, I drag you to Hell with me!" A former war hero accused of treason, Raisa Marskaya was once the premier Yuktobanian ace. She served as a test pilot, and later a squadron captain in the European fronts of the One Year War, with a reputation for fierce courage and fearless tactics. Five years ago, Raisa was accused of treason, forced to flee Yuktobania. She changed her name, becoming the mercenary "Isa Reichert," and now flies in support of Katharon forces. Her razor-sharp skills haven't dulled, put to good use in her new service as a specialized pilot of Mithril. Outside of the cockpit, this scarred veteran is independent and pragmatic; unafraid to get her hands dirty, if that's what it takes. When she isn't working, Isa spends her time drinking and smoking, known to indulge heavily in both vices. In battle, her competitive nature usually means she doesn't stop until she or her opponents are at their limits – or their machinery wrecked. Background Information The YAF Raisa Marskaya was destined for greater things than simply standing in the rank-and-file. The daughter of a brilliant Yuktobanian test pilot and a defecting Belkan soldier, she displayed an interest in the military from an early age. She enrolled in the military programs of the Earth Federation Alliance at a young age, quickly showing an aptitude for piloting aircraft. In time she became a test pilot, handling all manner of prototypes for the EFA's advanced machinery test programs. Her knack lay mostly with taking control of machines and making them perform to their utmost – Raisa was a brilliant test pilot, blessed with quick reflexes and the ability to think on her feet in battles both mock and real. The Belkan War She also participated in the One Year War. Specifically, Raisa flew for the Allied front of the Belkan War, which took place in the same time frame as the One Year War. She earned for herself accolades for her performance, striking down enemy aircraft fiercely and quickly. During the fighting, Yuktobania was bereft of the aid of the Galm Squadron, whose captain was the famed "Demon Lord of the Round Table." The Belkans initiated an aggressive push into Allied territory, and the Yuktobanians sent up a squadron of mixed Allied forces, primarily their own pilots. Among those was Raisa and her squadron; Geist – named for what the Belkans called them for their swift and surgical strikes: Ghosts. The Belkan aces proved too much for even a united Yuktobanian front. Out of two and a half dozen planes sent up in the air, every single aircraft was shot down. Of those, only five pilots survived; inattentive maintenance was blamed for the widespread but critical mechanical failures. Of the Geist Squadron, only three out of four pilots remained – Geist Four, Second Lieutenant Ancel Kaltenbach, was killed when his ejection seat malfunctioned. Raisa herself was forced to eject, but her aircraft was also damaged. Forced to ride it to the ground, the crash sparked an electrical fire in the cockpit, severely burning the right side of her face, neck, her right arm and hand, and right side. She also lost an eye due to the severity of her injuries, and was admitted to the Central University Hospital in Cinigrad. She could have had her eye replaced with functional cybernetics, but Isa refused, being slightly unnerved by the idea of sticking a machine in her eye socket. She vowed to fly again under her own power, even if that necessitated teaching herself how to fly all over again – and she did, training obsessively with simulators and the like while healing. Barely a month passed in recovery until Raisa was able to function once again, and against her superiors' recommendation, she threw herself back into the fray. Her new style of combat relied primarily on instrumentation and instinct to tell her what she could no longer see. She went on to fly several small but successful missions during the war in spite of her handicap. Her courage and determination inspired her fellow Yuktobanian troops, and after the incident at Waldreich, when it seemed the war was tapering out, she was awarded a medal for her performances. This earned her accolades and admiration from her fellow soldiers, and continued support from her two remaining wingmen. Sheer willpower alone propelled her through the conflict – and bolstered her reputation as a tough-as-nails pilot devoted to her homeland and her comrades in arms. Project Skytalon and Siberia After the war, Raisa resumed her duties within the Yuktobanian Air Force. Though she and her squadron were occasionally called to fly on sortie, her talents lay in testing new aircraft and pushing them to their limits. Her handicap couldn't dull her instincts, and with a shortage of pilots following the Belkan War, Raisa was returned to her role as a test pilot. At the same time, the Yuktobanian govevrnment co-founded the Yuktobanian-Soviet Aerospace Consortium, a collection of engineers, military officials, and other similar figures. Their intended purpose was to collaborate to draft and prototype several new aircraft, which could be used as a more manoeuvrable counter to mobile suits and other related units. Their first unit would be the M-0209 "Skytalon," a next-generation fighter with the ability to stop on a dime – and stay there. Three pilots were required, and so for their skill and service, the Geist Squadron was invited to operate the Skytalon. Five years after the Belkan War, the Skytalon's prototype was finished, and Raisa was invited to pilot it for its first flight. One month after that, Raisa was selected to lead a mission into Siberia, with the intent of recovering another Soviet prototype that had crashed into the wasteland. She was sent with a mixed contingent of Yuktobanian and Soviet pilots. Infighting broke out among the mixed Soviet and Yuktobanian squadrons, however, with suspicious Soviets turning on the Yuktobanians. Raisa was forced to silence the instigators. During the battle, the prototype was destroyed, and two of six Soviet pilots were killed. The other Yuktobanian pilots returned to base to report what had happened. Raisa lagged behind, reporting engine problems; she never returned to base, and it is assumed that she and her wingmen took the Skytalon and fled. Despite her sterling record during the Belkan War and her loyalty to her country, the Soviets ultimately blamed the destruction of the prototype and the deaths of the two Soviet pilots on Raisa, pointing out her refusal to return as guilt. All three pilots of the Geist Squadron's records were locked down. Their good names were dragged through the mud, and all three were put into the crosshairs of a very unhappy Soviet military branch, though Yuktobanian command was considerably more apathetic about the matter. Left with no recourse, Raisa and her two wingmen took the Skytalon and fled her homeland. Mercenary Raisa changed her name, becoming Isa Reichert, a mercenary pilot who would fly for the highest bidder and take almost any job. Embittered by what she felt was a betrayal by her superiors, she and her wingmen joined the Orb Union, eager to help tear down what she began to see as an inefficient and hopelessly bureaucratic government – and let the people start over. When the Orb Union was no more, Isa turned towards the Trailers, at the time more interested in hiding from the Soviet and Yuktobanian governments than anything else, yet continuing occasional flights as a mercenary. She and her wingmen have since joined with Katharon, flying for Mithril after recruitment by Teletha Testarossa. Her service with Mithril would ultimately be short, however, as mysterious forces initiated a massive strike on Mithril holdings, all but annihilating the organisation. Meeting up with Rachel Miu Athha afterwards, Isa silently resolved to protect the stricken girl until such a time as they could exact their revenge for Mithril's fallen. Mithril forces were shuffled around, with Rachel and Isa being stationed on Bright Noa's Argama, flagship of the Anti Earth Union Group. Current Events The Argama is Isa's temporary assignment, until further notice. At present she's undergoing intensive training for combat operations in space, which is quite different from her conventional training. She helps the crew of the Argama where she can, both in combat and in general – usually by helping them strike out against the Balmarian invasion. Having been approached by the famed Demon Lord of the Round Table, Cipher, Isa has also undertaken a rather ambitious mission – to assemble the biggest team of Belkan War veterans the world has ever seen and turn them against the Balmarians, dubbed by Cipher "The Ghosts of Razgriz." It is Isa's hope that this battalion of aces will come together for a fierce, rallying battle against the invading Balmarian fleet and win back the skies for Earth's people – and drive the invaders out. At present she splits her time between the Argama and Europe, pushing herself to exhaustion in scouring Europe for old allies. She still hasn't forgiven the Earth Federation Alliance for wrecking her military career and ruining her life. In time she intends to help tear down what she sees as a completely ineffectual system... one unit at a time. More than that, however, she plans on finding out who initiated such a surgical strike against Mithril's holdings, find out where they are... and then unleash almighty hell upon them. ...After the Balmarians have been dealt with. One thing at a time, after all. Personality Traits Isa's personality is fundamentally irreverent and laid-back. She has a mellow outlook on the world; rather than plan every detail, she prefers to react to life as it happens. Her dealings with people tend to be irreverent, with no real stock put into rank or authority. She either likes people, or she doesn't. In spite of this, Isa can occasionally be volatile in temperment. She takes her skills quite seriously, particularly as a pilot, and can be very competitive and defensive of them – it isn't unheard of for her to threaten violence on somebody she thinks is insulting her skills. This explosive temper serves her well in battle, and often serves to guide her past fear or hesitation. Combat is where she truly shines. Isa's two loves are fighting and flying, and she's most in her element when the two are combined. Her violent streak is put to great effect while she's in the cockpit, and she enjoys nothing more than to push hard and find out where her limits lie – and to expand them. She's most alive when she's in the middle of an all-or-nothing battle. Flying in combat brings her calm and focus that nothing on the ground gives her (unless it should involve many, many shots of vodka). When she chases down an enemy craft, she can hone herself into razor-sharp focus. At that time, Isa lives in the moment – nothing else matters but her and her quarry. When she's the victor, Isa can be surprisingly quiet about it. As a loser, she can be fairly gracious. She'll survive, and more than the temporary frustration of losing, that is ultimately what matters to her – she believes strongly in the philosophy of living to fight another day. To Isa, flying in and of itself is the thing that keeps her alive, both literally and figuratively. Literally speaking, her work for the Orb Union puts food on the table. Figurative speaking, though, it's the one thing that keeps her relatively sane and functional. It's a release, for her. Flying is a chance to give something her all and leave no room for thinking about anything else, doing anything else, or worrying about anything else; and she love every moment of it. The adrenaline rush can overcome anything negative, to her. Despite her "loose cannon" tendencies, Isa does have a few things that she won't budge on. She may be a wild woman in battle, but she does have her ethics. She refuses to attack civilians. That's one thing she simply won't change her mind about – she'll go out of her way to leave alone anything with civilian IFF tags or frequencies. It may be easy to dupe her that way, though she's not stupid. If a ship starts opening fire on her, she'll defend herself. Most of the time, she'll also let damaged ships or units escape, and tries to restrain herself from being completely unmerciful. Well, as long as they don't piss her off, anyway. As far as her past is concerned, Isa's driving goal is revenge. Her anger over her betrayal isn't overpowering, but it's always there, a constant simmering below the surface. She knows how to use and focus that anger, though, and it fuels her when she needs a little something to keep going. In many cases it keeps her from being afraid of odds that should rightfully be stacked against her – there are a lot of Yuktobanian pilots that would like to collect the informal bounty on her head, but that doesn't scare her. Talents & Abilities * Aeronautics: With full military training, Isa has a thorough education in the physics of flight. The bulk of this education consists of practical knowledge – mostly, knowing everything she needs to know to make her aircraft do what she needs it to do. * Alcohol Tolerance: Coming from a society where alcohol consumption is considered a vital part of social interaction, it comes as no surprise that Isa's alcohol tolerance is through the roof for somebody her size. She has a particular fondness for vodka, and she can usually tell the quality of what she's drinking with frightening ease. * Applied Mathematics: Isa sports a thorough education in applied mathematics. Mostly, this pertains to her knowledge in aeronautics, but sometimes it comes in handy for other things. * Bilingual: Isa is fluent in Russian and... well, a little less fluent in English. Occasionally she may make her English skills out to be poorer than they really are, if she thinks it may be to her advantage somehow. * Brawling: Though she boasts no specific training in unarmed combat, Isa does have a talent for participating in the stereotypical bar brawl. She doesn't necessarily fight gracefully, but she does know how to fight dirty. Fighting with a switchblade is her preferred method. * Percussion: Everybody has to blow off steam somehow. Isa carries around with her a pair of drumsticks, which she'll use on just about any solid surface – like a subway artist, she can coax all kinds of interesting sounds out of unlikely objects, and then make it sound good. * Piloting: Isa's specialty as a pilot lies in jet fighters and experimental aircraft. Though she has a much more difficult time piloting super robots, Isa has a knack for things with traditional jet-like configurations – this knack saw her employed as a test pilot for the Yuktobanian military, where she handled all sorts of strange aircraft. * Small Firearms: Isa has some training as a soldier, and she knows how to use small firearms. This tends to be more of an "ace in the hole" kind of technique, considering her injury; most people would think her completely unable to aim conventional firearms. NPCs Geist Two: Dominic "Domino" Heinslett Blonde, blue-eyed, and almost never seen without a pair of dark aviator sunglasses, Dominic is the second pilot of the Geist Squadron. He's a year older than she is, built broad and tall, with a certain rugged charm and quick to offer a lazy smile. Though a formidable pilot in the air, Dominic is passive enough to let Isa take the reins and lead in battle. He prefers to trust her judgement and keen instincts to direct the squadron where their skills would be most efficient. Dominic has known Isa since their initial training in the Yuktobanian Air Force, and would do almost anything to ensure her safety. He knows she can take care of herself, but when her confidence falters, he's there to pull her back to her feet. Close as they are, and as long as they've worked with one another and risked life and limb together, it's no surprise that the two are lovers. Geist Three: Liese "Rabbit" Lustig Liese is the third pilot of the Geist Squadron, two years younger than Isa. She's easily identified by her starkly Scandinavian features; platinum-blonde hair, pale blue eyes – and large round glasses. Some question whether combat aviation is really the right calling for this woman with a perennial case of nerves. Though she's not necessarily neurotic, Liese is nonetheless easily intimidated, and this has earned her the affectionate nickname of "Rabbit" by her teammates. She prefers to let Isa lead, though Isa's style tends to frazzle her nerves more often than not. Placed in the cockpit, however, Liese can seem like a completely different person. She can still be terrified of the situation – but she doesn't let it rob her of her ability to act. She's good-natured and supportive of her captain, whom she has a habit of calling "sir" rather than "ma'am," which Isa has long since given up on trying to correct. Liese looks up to Dominic as well, considering her two teammates like family in the reality of having to abandon her own after fleeing the Federation. Trivia * To compensate for her blind right side, Isa has a habit of turning her head a little far to the right to see everything with her left eye. * Relating to this, Isa dislikes when people sneak up on her blind side. * Isa speaks three languages: Russian, English, and Bad English. * In spite of her linguistic training, Isa is a little lazy when it comes to communication. Unless she's in a dangerous situation in which crystal-clear communication is a must, she tends to speak with a very strong accent and less than pristine grammar. * Isa's accent is fundamentally Russian, but there are harder edges and nuances to it that identify her as Yuktobanian and not Russian - Yuktobanian is more a dialect of Russian than its own proper language. * The fastest way to this woman's heart is through expensive vodka. * Though she's capable of fighting in space, Isa's area of expertiese is within atmospheric conditions. She'd never admit it, but zero-gravity conditions make her uncomfortable. She can fly in them just fine and operate an aircraft with adequate skill - but physically, she still hasn't quite gotten down the technique of moving around in those conditions properly. She tends to be clumsy when moving around ships without simulated gravity, and she's whacked her head on doorways in the Argama more times than she'd like to count. * Isa has very good rhythm, and in fact carries around with her a pair of drumsticks. She doesn't keep a drum kit, but when you work in a place like a hangar, just about anything can be used for sweet sounds; from overturned bucket snares to spent ammunition shell cymbals to Melissa Mao's head. Her reasoning is that the drumsticks are easily (and cheaply) replaced, and it's a good way to blow off steam if she can't drink. * A consummate chain-smoker, Isa's preferred brand of cigarettes are a cheap Yuktobanian label, "Leaping Stag," which unsurprisingly bears the device of the Yuktobanian flag on its carton. Relationships Friendship Rachel Miu Athha • The Second Princess of the Orb Union, and a sweet girl that probably shouldn't be forced into the occupation of "soldier." Isa met Rachel while she was overseeing maintenance on the Skytalon in the TDD-1 Tuatha de Danaan, flagship of the Mithril organisation. She was impressed by Rachel's evident knowledge and youth, and the attitude of one who has their head screwed on straight. After the destruction of several key Mithril holdings, Rachel called on Isa to come to her at the Orb Union's islands, inviting her to accompany her to the Argama, flagship of the Anti-Earth Union Group. Though young, Rachel's cool head and good-hearted attitude are something that Isa respects and admires, particularly given the convoluted life that Rachel seems to have led. More and more, she finds herself willing to go to absurd lengths to protect the princess, like a faithful chain-smoking guard dog. Trust Teletha Testarossa • Captain of the TDD-1 Tuatha de Danaan, and leader of the Mithril organisation. This young Colonel is definitely not what one would expect at the head of an elite group like Mithril; and never mind the skill and finesse she shows in heading this intrepid group of elites. Isa only had the opportunity to meet her once or twice, but she was impressed by what she saw, and learned very quickly not to judge this book by its dimunitive cover. She follows Tessa willingly, and in spite of her laid-back nature, Tessa commands enough respect for Isa to pay her the proper military respects due. Following the attack on Mithril's holdings, Isa learned that Colonel Testarossa was among the list of those missing. This came as a shock to Isa, who had expected to serve in Mithril for a good long time, or until her inevitable death in battle. Once again, she found that a group she could trust had been yanked out from under her, and so it has become Isa's mission to find out who was responsible, and exact vengeance upon them with extreme prejudice (and a lot of fuel-air explosive ordinance). Affinity Bright Noa • Captain of the Argama and Isa's current superior. Though young, Bright Noa outranks her as captain of the AEUG's flagship, the Argama, and his cool head and pragmatic outlook on things have earned a lot of respect from Isa. That he's younger than her doesn't bother her as much as it could – ability and sense are what matters, and Captain Bright seems to have plenty of it. Cipher • A pilot of the Trailers, and onetime war hero of the One Year War. Captain of the feared Galm Squadron, a unit of mercenaries fighting under the Ustian flag during the Belkan War, Cipher is a pilot with a fearsome reputation. He earned himself the nickname "Demon Lord of the Round Table" for his exploits in Belkan Priority One Strategic Airspace B7R, the "Round Table," a kind of combat proving ground among aircraft pilots. Isa met him in the Mediterranean on one calm day that she'd spent gathering supplies. While she never fought alongside him directly, Isa did hear of his exploits during the war. Tales of Cipher's victories bolstered Yuktobanian morale, and she regards his skill with the same respect she would any soldier whose abilities impressed her. However, the image of the unassuming Cipher does not necessarily mesh with her mental image of him – he's an enigma. He has, however, earned her respect for assuming the leadership of and spearheading the campaigns of "The Ghosts of Razgriz" – a massive battalion of aircraft pilots and Belkan War veterans assembled specifically to throw off the yoke of Balmarian rule over much of Europe. Ambivalence Caution Katina Tarask • A pilot of the Earth Federation Alliance, and captain of the Octo Squad. This fiery pilot is very much alike to Isa when it comes to her attitude and outlook. However, Katina only knows of Raisa Marskaya, having met Isa once or twice during her days as a test pilot of the Yuktobanian Federation of Republics. These two are too much alike for any good to come of this; coupled with her affiliation as a Federation pilot, Isa regards Katina warily at best. Distrust Ascian Luddite • A framerunner from the Divine Crusaders, Isa first met this plucky young pilot when he swiped a mass-produced Katharon unit to participate in the battle to save Shine Hausen transport from Balmarian attackers. Ascian did this against orders while he was being held prisoner in the Argama's brig, which Isa considers both incredibly rash and incredibly stupid. Given his status as a prisoner on the ship, she doesn't trust him. His personality of incredible optimism, and incredible naïveté, also grate her the wrong way. At best she tolerates him; at worst, she can't stop herself from snapping at him or lashing out verbally. Contempt Arkady Bulinov • A pilot of the Earth Federation Alliance. Isa met with this mouse of a man at high altitude over the western hemisphere. The two clashed and fought, since at the time, Isa had been flying for the Orb Union, and Arkady worked for the Earth Federation Alliance. They proceeded to meet several times afterward, prompting Isa to accuse the mousy Arkady of stalking her. (This probably just elicited terrified gibbering.) Isa dislikes his tremendous lack of courage, and thinks he's a weak coward who doesn't deserve to fly any sort of machinery into battle, let alone something as sophisticated as the Leda Pamyat; even if she doesn't understand the true significance of the machine. Russel Bagman • Another pilot of the Earth Federation Alliance. While flying local around the Orb Union islands, Isa met with this one in his VF-1 Valkyrie into Orb Union's territory. She did not take kindly to this and met his approach with accusations and a couple of launched missiles. While she doesn't know Russel very well, Isa thinks he's just a tool of the EFA. Stella Loussier • This Federation pilot broke the original Skytalon, and on top of that, she's a light-hearted child that seems to have enjoyed the entire ordeal as some great big game. Isa isn't really the sort of person to willingly harm a child, but neither does Isa completely forgive her for wrecking the one-of-a-kind prototype. On top of that, Isa is extremely displeased by the Federation employing a pilot so young; that they would restort to methods like that disgusts her. Logs * 2010-12-06 - The Valley of Kings • The Ghosts of Razgriz assemble for a stealth attack on Avalon Dam, located in northern Belka. This large, underground facility is the perfect base for the Ghosts' preferred tactics; it boasts a great deal of space underground to fit pilots and aircraft like, as well as formidable anti-air defenses. But first, they need to wrest control of Avalon from its Balmarian hosts... * 2010-12-02 - Argama's New Maid • While drinking on the job, Ascian meets up with Isa Reichert once more - as well as Geist Two: Dominic. His curiosity has him learning bits and pieces about her past, along with a healthy advice in work ethics. * 2010-11-29 - Princess Diaries • The Argama receives a distress call! Bright Noa comes to the rescue of the space's princess, whilst at the same time he has to deal with his prisoner having stolen an Astray and going out in it. Isa takes to the sky space to help her fellow Katharon forces against the Balmarian threat. * 2010-11-27 - Argama Holding - Ascian Luddite • After his "daring" escape during a rescue mission and assistance to the Argama, Ascian Luddite was punished severely by Captain Bright Noa. A curious but unimpressed Isa visits him in the brig, only for both of them to be dragged into a shared dream engineered by Rem Blacknight. Can these two adversaries set aside their difference to figure things out? Not bloody likely... Category: Original Characters Category:Katharon